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To the Class of 2007: 'Listen to your hearts'
Politicians, activists, even rock musicians deliver commencement addresses across the country.
from the June 7, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
University of San Francisco
From the beginning of our nation, that frontier has been aggressively expanded by young people, who are not wedded to old ways of thinking or daunted by the encumbrances of the past or the present.
That entrepreneurial spirit led our founders to be magnificent disrupters of the status quo. Their optimism, confidence, and hope has been passed on from one generation to the next....
At a time when some world leaders question the value of constructive dialogue with our adversaries, young people are engaged in their own international dialogue, on campuses and through e-mail and instant messaging and blogs.... They are talking about their hopes for a brighter future – of their desire for peace and prosperity.
That's what I heard in the Middle East, and that is what I hear from young people here at home. That unwillingness to accept the world as it is now – the impatience of youth – is why I have such faith in the future and in the class of 2007.
Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of New York
Tufts University, Medford, Mass.
The fourth lesson – in the words of Ali G – is "Respect." Don't worry, I'm not going to start quoting Borat. Respect is so important – especially in times of conflict. And I think a lot of you here know what I'm talking about.
This past December, The Primary Source – which is a campus magazine – printed some things that much of the community ardently disagreed with and many considered quite offensive. But instead of suppressing the publication (which might very well have happened on other campuses) and despite the emotion of the moment, I think the students and the faculty and all of Tufts University deserve an enormous amount of respect because you respected the rights of others to express themselves. You discussed the piece. You debated it. You picked it apart. It was a classic example of free speech versus free speech. And in that battle, I've always thought everybody wins....
I've always wondered if people who block each other from expressing their opinions do so because they have so little confidence in their own. To me, encountering an opposing point of view is a chance to gain a deeper understanding of the issues at stake ... and develop my own point of view. But the first thing you've got to do is you've got to let people speak and you've got to listen. And that's what the First Amendment is all about.
In my generation, the one word of advice you gave to graduates was "plastics." Your parents will have to explain that to you. But today, I think the one word of advice should be the word "respect."
Katie Couric
TV journalist
Williams College, Williamstown, Mass.
Today, upward mobility requires constant mobility and availability. Working 9 to 5 is as obsolete as the old Dolly Parton song, and so is working for one company for 30 years, and retiring with a healthy pension and a gold watch. Between the ages of 18 and 40, the average American holds 10 different jobs.
Your generation faces a tougher environment, and tougher competition, than ever.... The challenge is to beat the investment banker from Bangalore, the software programmer from Prague, the manufacturer in Manila.... No matter how much potential you think you have, a little humility will serve you well – and help you focus on doing your best in the job you've got, rather than plotting to get the job you think you deserve.
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